A 16-year-old student who has inoperable cancer has criticised young people who “choose” to take their own lives and has appealed to them to not do so.
Donal Walsh, a talented rugby player from Blennerville, Tralee, was diagnosed with a tumour in his leg four years ago.
Since then he has undergone two cancer treatments but on each occasion it reappeared and has now moved into his lung.
Concerned by conditions at Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin, where he has received numerous bouts of chemotherapy and other treatments, he has raised €50,000 in fundraising for the hospital’s wards.
Yesterday he talked about his illness after being selected for a Kerry “local hero” award, and he also spoke about suicide among teenagers, saying he was angered whenever he heard of such cases.
Of his most recent diagnosis, he said: “I realised that I was fighting for my life for the third time in four years and this time I have no hope.
“Yet still I hear of young people committing suicide and I’m sorry but it makes me feel nothing but anger. I feel angry that these people choose to take their lives, to ruin their families and to leave behind a mess that no one can clean up.
“Yet I am here with no choice, trying as best I can to prepare my family and friends for what’s about to come and leave as little a mess as possible.
“I know that most of these people could be going through financial despair and have other problems in life, but I am at the depths of despair and believe me there is a long way to go before you get to where I am. For these people, no matter how bad life gets, there are no reasons bad enough to make them do this. If they slept on it or looked for help they could find a solution and they need to think of the consequences of what they are about to do.
“So please, as a 16-year-old who has no say in his death sentence, who has no choice in the pain he is about to cause and who would take any chance at even a few more months on this planet: appreciate what you have, know that there are always other options and help is always there.”
The student received the award from a judging panel that includes the chief Garda superintendent in Kerry, the Kerry's Eye newspaper and Radio Kerry. He was nominated for the award by Ruairi O Rahilly, his teacher at CBS The Green, Tralee.
In interviews yesterday in the newspaper and on Radio Kerry, and with the support of his parents Fionnbar and Elma, Donal said he had a strong faith and did not have a sense of anger or unfairness about his condition, but he did worry about the effect his death would have on his family. “I never get scared. It’s nothing to do with the illness or dying that scares me. It does worry me to think what my family will be like afterwards.”
Supt Pat O’Sullivan, chairman of the judging panel, described Donal as “a unique and inspirational young man”.
“The example Donal continues to set through his courageous fight in the face of the most difficult personal circumstances is what all of us aspire to. Quite simply, it is of heroic proportions.”